Never Been, Milady
by Lina Farrah
Summary: Roseline Curtis is the personal attendant and closest friend of Renge Houshakuji. When Renge leaves everything behind to chase love in Japan, Roseline is taken along for the ride. In a world where petals appear, a Host Club plays the heartstrings, and everyone seems to have a past worth hearing, where does Roseline fit in? Renge might know the trope, but her eyes are elsewhere.
1. Does Not a Lady Make

**Chapter One**

_"My love, you are all I desire in this world. Would you please be mine? It would make me so happy." _

_ -Of course I will! It makes me happy also._

_ -I am sorry, Miyabi, but my love is pledged to another. _

Renge Houshakuji hovered over the options on the screen, as the majestic face of her animated love gazed back at her. Her heart ached at the look in his eyes, as the fringe of his unkempt locks molded against his glasses. Her fingers danced above the A button of the controller, savoring the moments before their inevitable conclusion to the epic romance saga they had shared arrived. In the back of her mind, reality reminded her that the next game would not be available for many more months. She had known this before, had even attempted to ration her use of the game, but fell victim to her love's gaze once again. She could do it though, she decided: wait many months for her love.

No sooner had her thumb pressed the trigger than her door let loose a low creak. Renge leapt back from the introduced sound, flinging an innocent bystander of a doll at the door. It bounced harmlessly off the surface, suffering a crushing of its limbs as the instigator walked through the door. Renge huffed in her irritation upon recognition of her visitor. A silently laughing girl entered without a word. She glided over to the bed and sat down at the foot, careful to be on Renge's right side. It was Renge's best if one were to ask her.

"Hello, Roseline. Might I ask what you are doing here?" Renge flicked an auburn lock from her face. Her hair was frizzed, her eyes dulled a red colour from the screen exposure, and her skin was daubed in empty ivory. Roseline stared fondly, flicking her gaze to the sim dating game on the television.

"Renge, it's high time you got a bit of rest."

Renge ignored her, fixated once again on the man declaring his everlasting passion on the screen. He had dark hair and glasses, a sincere little smile on his face. His replicas were strewn about the room, in plushy, poster, and picture form. Roseline sighed heavily, scooting forward on the bed to place her hand over the controller. With one swift movement, one that she had rehearsed for many a night like this, she swiped the controlled from her mistress's hand and set it on the floor. Renge looked about to object, before her face was caught in a two handed embrace.

Roseline stared Renge deep in the eyes, trying to estimate the amount of hours that Renge had been awake. None of her guesses were in the least an acceptable amount.

"Go to sleep, Renge. You're tired." Roseline insisted, swiping her thumbs across the drained expanse of Renge's skin.

Renge nodded almost imperceptibly, and Roseline returned her hands to her lap. Without a spoken agreement, but an agreement present nonetheless, Roseline helped her mistress dress in her nightgown: a replica of one showcased in a live action remake of the game still flickering on the television. Renge slipped beneath her covers, a neatly tied pink ribbon still in her hair. Roseline looked protectively upon her, cruelly deciding to leave it there for her mistress's discovery in the morning. True as Renge was, some tough love was required for her.

Roseline crept back out the room, propping the victim of her entrance against the wall. She sent a quick word over her shoulder.

"Your father should be returning in some few hours. I'll tell him you wish to have breakfast with him."

In the expanse of hallways, Roseline moved swiftly and smoothly about the turns. The pictures on the wall watched her go, as they always did and will do, smiling sincerely and less than at her, depending upon the nature of their arrival. Roseline's personal favorite was a picture of Renge and her first cousin, Riche, holding one another as children do when forced to. They were dressed in identical white frills, hers in dress form and his in button up styling.

Come the end of the corridor, Roseline was twisting her ankles in an attempt to lift some pressure. Thanking her lucky stars that her room was near the mistress's, Roseline stepped within her own luxurious realm. The bed was one of her purchasing, completely out of place with the rest of the furnishings and trimmings along the walls. Still, she did not regret its arrival. Feather beds were the bane of her existence, and a simple box spring had never killed a man to her knowledge.

She shook off her own garments, much nicer than the strict uniforms of the staff, but servant's garments nonetheless. Her nightshirt rested against the back of a decorative chair. Without hesitation, she slipped it over her head and nearly groaned at the feeling of all her muscles loosening at once. Her hands skillfully undid the braid in her hair, hissing at the feeling of the strands returning to their natural places. Striding across the room, she expected to find herself in her covers within minutes. Sadly, she was mistaken.

Her foot caught the suitcase of costumes beneath her bed, sending her flying into the ground. Her chin banged painfully against the floor, while white dashed into her vision. She whimpered as she stood, rubbing her jaw furiously against the sting. She blinked back her frustration, slamming her palm into the suitcase. It slid across the floor and banged loudly against the wall. Roseline was struck with the image of Renge trying to sleep in her bed. Inwardly, she cursed furiously. Standing once more, she fell back towards the door.

_I swear if I woke that girl,_ her threat was never finished. Upon stepping into the hallways, she caught sight of Mr. Houshakuji, her employer and foster father by all rights of the word, and the Head Maid. He had Renge's door opened, lights flashing across his face. Roseline rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Renge must be up and playing her game again. Mr. Houshakuji shared words with his daughter and Roseline was put at ease. He would place Renge back to bed, as he knew best how to.

Without a word to either of them, because mornings were a time for words, Roseline turned and fell back into her room. Her bed creaked when she fell upon it, reminding her as it did every night of the quality. For some reason, ironically surrounded by luxury and beauty, the reminded did little to bother her.

Roseline was up bright and early the next morning, though not of her own free will thanks to the Head Maid of the manor. As Renge's personal attendant, it was her duty to...well...attend to her. As such, she woke her, helped her dress, and escorted her down to the second floor dining hall to have breakfast with Mr. Houshakuji. Renge still had the ribbon from last night in her hair, scarcely a wrinkle in it. Roseline tried not to resent her for the obvious lack of sleep she sought.

In the dining hall, Mr. Houshakuji was position at the table, a teacup in his hands and a warm smile on his face. He had perfect form, as did Renge, in everything he did. It seemed that all ladies and gentlemen have prerecorded movements for everything. Roseline was quite fond of Mr. Houshakuji, resulting in her imitating his controlled and graceful actions. Renge visibly brightened at the sight of him, always anxious to hear about his business trips. For some peculiar reason, Roseline suspected this time it was mostly due to the location of his visit. Renge certainly was fond of Japanese things.

"Good morning, Mr. Houshakuji." Roseline greeted warmly, holding Renge's hand delicately until she was completely seated. She had seen him do the same many times before.

"Good morning, Roseline." he returned promptly, eyes fixated on his daughter.

Roseline took a small curtsey, speaking directly to Renge.

"Please, do not hesitate to call me, should you be in need of anything."

Renge watched her from the corner of her eyes, using her hands as a leave to go. As Roseline walked toward the kitchen, a serving boy scuttled past her with Renge's favourite tea in hand. The warm humidity of the kitchens welcomed her, the smell of omelets still in the pan filling the wet, hot air. The Head Maid was propped on a counter, laughing with the Head Chef, Ean. No one said anything, but the entire staff was nearly positive that the two were having an affair on the side. Ean caught sight of her and let out a loud whoop.

"Good morning, fair Romeo!" he cackled at his own joke. Roseline rolled her eyes at the nickname. The joke was a bit of a double pun. It originated when Ean remarked how Roseline was never raised to be a Lady, but would make an excellent Gentleman if her behavior towards Renge was anything to go by. That is what half of the staff thinks the name is for, while the other half is convinced that it is for Roseline's love of theatre: a very, very excessive love of theatre, resulting in her obtaining several Arts Scholarship opportunities.

"Good morning, Ean. I see the night's sleep hasn't done anything for your sense of humor."

The Head Maid, Claire, laughed into her hand. She was most certainly a Lady, the perfect match for Ean and his antics.

Roseline settled herself between the two of them, ignoring the daggers that Ean sent her way.

"What was Japan like, Ean?" Roseline inquired.

He flushed with pride. Being specifically requested to accompany Mr. Houshakuji was one of his badges of honor. He wore quite a few of them: his custard pudding, his request rate upon his false resignations, the women from many countries that supposedly courted him. Roseline hardly believed half of them, besides the ones she had seen for herself. There were not many that she or anyone else had seen for themselves.

"Japan is gorgeous during this time of year. The weather is absolutely exquisite, the people are friendly, and the culture is fascinating. But," he spun dramatically, "the food is where I must call upon the poet inside me."

Claire fanned herself with a decorative dish elevator. She shot a cheeky grin at Roseline, mouthing "Poet?"

Ean continued without the notice of his interruption. "We toured many fine dining establishments. All local's favorites fret not, as though we would dine upon mere tourist's cuisine. The best dishes, however, were served at Mr. Houshakuji's supplier's home. In the manor, we were served all manner of delicacies. I have never seen Mr. Houshakuji eat so much in a single sitting. Ah well, I tip my hat to the esteemed Ootori family chef. Worrisome for him, I will soon take it upon myself to master such dishes and serve them on a regular basis here at the Houshakuji Manor. Our culinary skill will be known from every corner of the world!"

Claire smiled, staring fondly at Ean. She swiftly jumped to her feet, ringlets flying about and landing on her freckled skin. Roseline was not one to pry, but even she noticed that Ean was staring too long for a so called acquaintance. Regretfully, Claire didn't seem to notice as every other person in existence did. Roseline and half the staff watching sighed in frustration at yet another moment that the two of them had completely botched. Their skinny love was downright infuriating at times.

The silence broke with a high pitched sound. A shrill cry came from the other room. _"I'm going to marry the boy in this photo!"_

"What the hell?" Ean whispered. Everyone muttered about his or herself, worried about where the cry might have originated from. A chill went down Roseline's spine. She would know that voice if she hadn't heard it for a lifetime. It seemed to have dawned on the others too, when they began to move towards the door, but Roseline was already there, throwing it open and flying through.

"Renge?" she could hardly mutter the name. Her heart was in her throat with worry. Renge was standing above her father, a suitcase already in hand (where did she get that so quickly?). A grin that took up half her face erupted, her big, brown eyes as bright as Roseline had ever seen them. In place of her ribbon, she had found her purple hat that she wore only on travelling occasions. Was there something in the schedule that Roseline had missed? She always accompanied Renge on her trips, why would she not be informed?

"Roseline! Excellent timing; pack your bags, we're going to Japan."

The words flew past Roseline, missing her ears and fluttering about her head. Renge took off past her in a blinding flash, shoving the suitcase into Roseline's unexpectant hands. She had to fumble in order to retain a proper grip on it. Roseline gawked at the object in her hands, as though she had never seen one before. She turned towards her mistress, only to see Renge fly up the stairs, giggling breathily to herself.

"Load my things onto the private jet, Roseline. And then come upstairs, I have to be beautiful for my prince!"

Roseline stared wide eyed and open mouthed at the stairs, then slowly turned to send a look of complete confusion toward Mr. Houshakuji. He had a mirrored expression on his face, before standing abruptly and wiping his face. He took off down the hall, crying out.

"Renge!"

Roseline stared uncomprehendingly at the luggage in her hands. Did Renge really say prince?

Once all of Renge's things were loaded onto the jet (Renge had a lot of things), Roseline set off to help her dress. Confused as she may be, and familiar as the two may be, she was Renge's attendant for better or worse. The hem of her dress began to drag on the ground as she ran, nearly tripping her up several times. It was high time she had it fixed or replaced. At the top of the steps, she almost took a flying face dive over the railing. The hem caught behind her, a loud ripping sound filling the halls.

Roseline looked down to see half the skirt in disarray, the other half hanging on just enough to cover her modesty. She flushed crimson all the way to her ears as she darted in Renge's room, not thinking about anything but hiding her shame. A gasp caught Roseline's ear. She looked up and saw Renge, half dressed and looking at her with upmost horror and pity in her eyes. Not even considering her own amount of skin showing, Renge dropped her choice outfits down and fled to Roseline's side.

"Roseline, what has happened to you?" Renge looked as though she might laugh or cry. Roseline would not put either past her.

"The hem has been torn beyond repair, I'm afraid. I will merely need to change. Then, I promise milady, I will return and help you dress."

Renge pouted. "Don't be daft! Just grab something from my closet. You can change into whatever dress of your choice when we get to Japan. For now, there is business to be done."

Roseline blushed, gazing longingly at Renge's closet. "Thank you, Renge."

Renge did not even blink, not fully understanding the meaning behind her own words and actions. "Yes, yes. You're welcome. Now hurry, my prince waits!"

Roseline quickly hurried over to the closet and pulled out the one thing she had admired for so long. It was a silken, black and silver kimono, with decorative cherry blossoms all over it. She had no sooner slipped out of her own tattered garment than Renge began laughing hysterically.

"Roseline, you lovable twit! One does not wear a kimono unless in cosplay or for a special occasion. They are not casual wear amongst the Japanese." Renge had tears in her eyes from laughing, clutching her gut and kicking the ground.

Roseline tried her best not to be offended, nearly biting her tongue off in the process. "Alright, mistress, what might you recommend that I wear?"

Renge missed the venom in her voice entirely, the lovable twit she was, and pulled a simple dress with purple frills out. She shoved it in Roseline's arms, prancing back over to her own bed to examine the outfits she had picked for herself. There must have been at least five over there, as though the decision was so daunting that she needed that many choices. Roseline slipped into the gown easily and moved to help Renge with her own dressings.

Renge had chosen a vibrant, rather loud purple dress and petticoat, all to match with the eccentric hat atop her head. While helping her legs into the crinoline skirt, Roseline took the opportunity to question her.

"Renge, why are we taking such a sudden leave to Japan?"

Renge sighed dramatically. "I knew it would happen one day, my naïve little friend. My prince has elegantly waltzed his way into my life! Father proved as much when he showed me the picture from his business trip. One of the sons, the youngest and just my age, is the spitting image of my beloved," she gazed wistfully at one of the many plushies in the room, "Father says his name is Kyouya."

Roseline paused, hands frozen in the middle of tying Renge's corset. "Renge, are you sure this is wise? Where might we even stay in Japan?"

Renge sucked her stomach in, a reminder to Roseline to continue her work. Roseline left it loose as always, knowing too well what a tight corset can do to the body. Renge traced the newfound curves on her sides and continued with her dramatic monologue.

"Of course we will be attending my dearest Kyouya's school. It is an elite academy for the rich and renowned, Ouran Academy. The two of us will be transfer students, you on an Arts Scholarship and me on my Houshakuji name. In the meantime, until our induction, we will reside in one of father's countryside cottages. Mind you, they are less luxurious than we are accustomed to. But if it means I get to meet my darling Kyouya, then it's all worth it!"

After shoving her arms through the sleeves of her jacket, Renge tied her hair swiftly in a matching ribbon. She unceremoniously forced her feet into pear-shaped boots and trotted off with her head held high.

"Fix your hair, Roseline. We leave on the hour!"

Within a half day, Roseline found herself at Renge's side, as per usual. Renge was practically jumping in place, eyes wandering everywhere on Ouran's campus as though she were trying to commit the whole place to memory. It was a lovely place though. A multitude of expensive looking buildings surrounded them, with gardens of flora and fauna all about. A large clock tower stood towards the side of the campus, with a sky reflecting pond in the middle of the dorms-so they appeared to be.

Renge brushed her hair from her face, hands folded in front of her like a proper lady. Roseline had never been able to comprehend how she could remember all the rules of being a true Lady. For her, the rules of an escort were easier. Be polite, courteous, and attentive. It was all she need remember. Roseline offered her arm to Renge, who took it promptly and allowed Roseline the lead of their pace. Walking through the gardens toward the decorative welcoming building was quite an experience.

Everything on the campus was expensive and beautiful, from the gardens to the buildings to even the people if Roseline had to guess. She was careful to step in turn with Renge, so as not to cause any unseemly dragging, but she almost tripped over her own self several times in her admiration. A boy came running by, eyes straying to Renge and widening in wonder. Roseline watched him warily, smirking to herself when he took a dive into the grass.

"It seems as though this school contains much beauty." Renge commented.

"Not entirely, milady, but they do quite alright." Roseline led them forward before Renge had the time to dissect what she had said. They came to the door, large and decorative and overwhelming. Renge seemed to tighten her grip on Roseline.

Roseline watched her warily, the way her eyes seemed to glaze over and the way her hands shook. She opened the door, gesturing for Renge to walk through. Renge smiled at her, stomping through with her head held high once more. Roseline laughed inwardly at her, the poor misguided girl. When Roseline stepped inside, Renge had already begun her accent up a collection of stairs. She called to her.

"Check with the Chairman. Tell him we have arrived and get copies of our schedules. Then, I beg of you, meet me in Music Room 3."

Roseline watched her go, up the stairs and out of sight. She let out a heavy sigh. "Damn idiot."

Roseline took the steps and the runs required of her, so the Chairman had told her, in order to get to Music Room 3. Glancing down at their schedules, Roseline saw that the papers were nearly identical, besides a different lunch period and alternate electives. Whereas Renge had Japanese Literature, Roseline had Advanced Drama. The Chairman had told her upon their meeting that in order to maintain her Arts Scholarship, she had to take the elite Arts classes. She was not allowed to drop out, fall behind the halfway mark of the student body's G.P.A, and-most importantly, he stated-she was not allowed to exempt from or miss any performances the Drama Club might put on. Trotting down the halls, she was careful to avoid the steady flow of students heading about their classes. Her dark coloured dress stood out dramatically against the soft yellow of all the girl's uniforms, making her appear as though a literal sore thumb. She heard whispers behind her back, the hushed words that questioned her but left no room for answers.

She bounded past a group of first years in the corridor, taking a sharp turn around a corner. A mass of black blinded her, sending her flying back into the floor. An apology found her lips before she was even sure what had happened. Glancing up nervously, she was met with a pair of dark, blank eyes. A girl with straight, ebony hair stood passively above her, hands folded in front of her. Despite the collision, her expression was void of any anger or shock. Roseline pulled her papers closer to her chest and stood up anxiously. Swallowing her insecurities, she welcomed the girl with all the grace she had been raised to possess.

"My sincerest apologies, milady. How might I correct this error, if it please you?"

The girl stared blankly again, slowly taking Roseline in. It sent shivers down her spine, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. The girl finally nodded, more to herself than anyone else it seemed, and strode past Roseline without so much as a word. She tugged a small black book from her bag and began flicking through it, lips moving softly, silently beneath her dark tresses. Roseline tried to ignore the immensely creepy vibes that the girl emanated.

Shaking her head of the memory, Roseline continued up the stairs she had ventured toward, huffing come the third one that she had to ascend. Music Room 3 was much further away than she had originally anticipated, it seemed. Renge had asked it of her, though, and thus she trudged on. On the third floor, she found a steady stream of ladies coming from a room, giggling to one another and blushing in near unison. Roseline stood to the side and allowed them all passage. Most paid her no heed, but a few stared queerly at her dress and at the forms still clutched tight to her gut. One of the girls, with pretty chestnut hair and matching eyes, took Roseline's wrist in her frail, delicate hands. With a sympathetic smile, she spoke melodiously and comforting. Roseline was very confused.

"Do not fret so. I promise you, the Host Club is not as intimidating as it seems."

Roseline nodded, as though she understood, and flashed a thankful smile. Inwardly, she worried that her confusion could be seen through her eyes. What was she to do if she had displeased this girl? Thankfully enough, the chestnut haired lady did not seem to notice and glided past with her pack of giggling friends once more. Roseline turned her attention back to the signs above the rooms. They were blurry, difficult to read from such a distance. Squinting, leaning forward, Roseline was just able to make out the words. Once, she hoped she was reading it properly, had Music Room 3 scripted atop it. She noticed a familiar bow on the back of maiden's head. Renge was clinging to the doorframe, just noticeably shaking. She leaned further into the door, watching cautiously and carefully. Roseline sighed in relief, trotting to catch up with her.

"Renge, I have retrieved our papers. I wanted to ask you…" Roseline's words were cut short by Renge pulling her forcibly to her side, shushing with a finger. Roseline cocked a brow.

Renge continued to stare into the depths of the room, hidden to Roseline's view. Straining, Roseline listened as carefully as she possibly could. Someone was speaking of characters and the pinash needed in them. Then, she heard a gasp from within the room, followed by the sounds of footsteps.

Two identical boys stepped into view: ginger hair, brown eyes, and seductive smirks in place. Their eyes were lidded lazily, their voices sultry as they spoke. Renge leapt back and trembled in place; it took everything Roseline had not to comfort her, knowing deep down that the action would only be a further embarrassment. Here, as she was when anyone besides Renge could see her, she was an attendant and nothing more.

"Come on in. What are you waiting for?" one of the boys crooned.

"Watching from afar is no fun." the other copied.

In unison, they whispered as they held out roses in their loose hands "Please, miss."

Renge unconsciously pressed tight against Roseline's side. In her mind's voice, she was cursing the lying girl with the chestnut hair. These boys were very intimidating.

"Stop that." another boy, with purple eyes and princely features, commanded. "How many times do I have to tell you to be more courteous to a first time guest?"

His voice dropped an octave as he extended an elegant hand. He took Renge's chin between his fingers, lifting her gaze to his. "Please, you don't have to be afraid, my princess. I welcome you to the Ouran Host Club."

A whimper left Renge's lips. "Yes?" he spoke softly. The boy was a touch too friendly for Roseline's taste.

In a blinding flash, Renge slammed her hand on the boy's face, crying out. "No! Don't touch me; you're phony!"

The boy cried out, falling back into the room with a bright red handprint on his face. Roseline whipped around the doorframe to look inside. It was a stereotypical Japanese Lounge, with four other boys inside. Seven in total it seemed, all wearing decorative kimonos. She glared at Renge through the corner of her eye. _What happened to special occasions? _The prince covered his face, speaking around his hand with wide, horrified eyes.

"What do you mean I'm phony?"

Renge pointed an accusing hand at him. "Just what I said. You're phony!"

Roseline tried to console her. "Renge, I understand your boundary issues, but was striking him really the answer?"

Renge waved her advice off and continued to rant. "I find it hard to believe that someone like you is the prince character of this Host Club!"

The pseudo-prince fell back, aghast. He seemed to shrink with every insult Renge threw venomously his way.

"You shouldn't go spreading your love around so easily, you stupid. You must be a dimwitted narcissist. You're incompetent, you're a commoner, and you're disgusting!"

He fell to the ground in slow motion, clutching his heart. Roseline moved to check on him, but was caught by Renge's outstretched arm. She seethed inside, her mistress's methods always appearing most unorthodox.

A tall, dark haired lad with glasses spoke. Even to Roseline, who avoided Renge's games as much as possible, he resembled the character Miyabi almost uncannily.

"I don't suppose you are..." he never finished his sentence.

Renge gasped a sound of admiration and joy, flying across the room to his side. "It's you, Kyouya!"

She stepped on the boy in the floor as she flew into Kyouya's arms. Rose petals surrounded them. _Where the hell did the petals come from?_

"How I've longed to meet you," Renge swooned, "My one and only prince charming."

One of the twins looked peculiarly at Roseline. She was staring open mouthed at the 'couple', and merely shrugged. It seemed there was only one person who knew what was happening, and she was more than a little off her rocker.

Renge was seated on the couch, a cup of her favourite tea in front of her. All of the members of the Host Club were sat on the couch across them. Their names still unknown, they watched Renge with a worry and an interest. Roseline hovered behind Renge, watching carefully as her nerves grew more frantic with every passing second.

"Fiancé?" one of the twins questioned.

"Kyouya?" the other finished.

"Of course," Renge replied chirpily, "My name is Renge Houshakuji and I'm transferring into Ouran Academy's First Year Class A tomorrow. My attendant will be joining Second Year Class A, on an Arts Scholarship."

The prince was sulking in the corner. Dark clouds seemed to hang about him.

"Why is he sulking?"

"Because Mommy was keeping a secret from Daddy." The twins conversed.

Kyouya sighed heavily.

"Whatever. Why does everyone insist on referring to us as though we're husband and wife?"

"Ours is a story of love at first sight." Renge began yet another monologue. Roseline shook her head in disbelief, "I couldn't resist the way you were admiring those flowers in the backyard when you thought no one else was looking. And how sweet it was when you reached out to that poor little, injured kitten."

"Is she serious?" the twins asked.

One of the other boys, with feminine features and eyes that took up most of his face, spoke up gently. "Could you have the wrong person?"

"No way, I could recognize my love anywhere!" Renge shouted. Roseline groaned internally and walked over to Renge's side, taking her arm in hand with all the respect she could muster.

"Renge, milady, let us be careful of our tone. We are guests."

Renge, yet again, ignored her pleas. "He's a gentleman who's kind to everyone but doesn't ask for anything in return. He liked solitude, but, in fact, sometimes he gets lonely. He looks like the star of the popular dating sim, Uki-Doki Memorial. You're my real life Miyabi!"

The twins looked as though their heads might explode and the prince continued to sulk in the corner.

"Renge," Roseline argued, "You've never met him."

The prince raised his head so quickly that Roseline worried of his risk for whiplash. "Otaku!"

"Otaku?" one of the boys cried in horror.

"I've never seen one!" another held a hand to his mouth in horror. Roseline bit back a laugh at that.

Kyouya sat down on one of the couches, with a look of deep thought on his face. "I get it now. You're in love with that character. You're projecting that love onto me and have somehow deluded yourself into thinking that somehow we're engaged. I assumed this Miyabi character probably wears glasses as well."

Renge was running around frantically in the background, as the other members of the Host Club sat themselves down to speak with Kyouya.

"So she made it up," the prince boy deducted, finally having stopped sulking, "You're not really her fiancé."

Kyouya spoke calmly. "Well, no. I don't recall ever asking for her hand in marriage. Besides, this is the first time I've ever met the woman."

They continued to speak as Roseline chased Renge about.

"Milady, this is highly unethical!" she panted, grasping blindly for a part of Renge to cling to.

With a mix of a lunge and a tackle, Roseline finally caught Renge in her arms, pulling her over to the couches and tuning back into the conversation. Renge did not miss a beat in her courtship, sadly. She flung herself on the seat beside Kyouya.

"According to my research, I understand that you're in charge of managing the club. Is that true, Kyouya?"

An adorable boy with big, doe eyes spoke up. "That's right. Kyo-chan is our director."

Roseline studied the boy carefully, trying to discern his age. His met her eyes and he grinned brightly.

"You're the clubs director? That's perfect. Oh, wow. I've always wanted to wear a sandwich board to advertise a business." Renge's eyes had stars in her eyes, fists held tight against her chest. Roseline reached around and straightened the bow in her hair.

"We don't advertise; we're just a Host Club." the twins spoke monotonously.

Renge spun around, holding a hand up and winking. "I've made up my mind. From now on, I'm going to be the manager of this Host Club."

The twins groaned. Renge was so caught up in her own world that she was no longer listening to the conversation. But Roseline was; it was her job to know what Renge did not.

"Um…listen, Kyouya," the prince boy began. Kyouya interrupted him.

"Miss Houshakuji is the only daughter of a very important Ootori family client. So please be polite and try not to offend her, alright?"

Roseline narrowed her eyes at them. None of them were looking at her, giving her a moment before she had to return to her passive, polite expression. Renge returned to reality momentarily.

"Alright, boys. I can't wait to work with you. Roseline, prepare everything for out stay," she chittered and trotted out of the room, "I have things to do now that I am a manager."

Roseline turned awkwardly to face the club. What was she supposed to so? Boys had never been something she was taught about. Does one treat them gentlemanly too? She doubted it, but what other method did she have? Extending a hand to the price, she gave him a charming smile.

"My name is Roseline Curtis. It seems as though we will be seeing much of each other as of late. I hope we get along well."

He waved a lock of blond hair back dramatically, grasping her hand in his and lifting it to his lips. Roseline pulled it back, frowning deeply.

"A handshake will suffice. I am not a Lady, sir."

He stared wide eyed at her, cocking his head. "But of course you are, princess."

Roseline shook her head. "Merely being a woman does not a lady make."

She turned her attentions to one of the twins, holding her hand out once more. Grinning devilishly, they both took one of her hands, speaking mere seconds before and after one another.

"Kaoru Hitachiin."

"Hikaru Hitachiin."

She flicked her eyes between them. How similar they were; this would be rather difficult. But a true and kind gentle…woman?...does not drop names. Nodding, she offered her hand to the baby-faced boy with the doe eyes.

He held both his and his pink, stuffed rabbit's hand in hers. "I'm Honey and this is Usa-chan!"

Roseline's false smile flickered. He really was adorable, though his age was still a matter of wonder for her. The tall, brooding man that stood next to Honey reached his hand out before she could. They shared the first real, respectful handshake she had received from the bunch.

"Takashi Morinozuka."

Roseline released his grip. "A pleasure, milord."

The feminine boy did not shake her hand, but raised one of his own and smiled bashfully. Roseline had to take several good looks at him. He was beyond the average mark of a pretty boy, and he moved without the confidences that accompanied gentlemen and ladies. Perhaps he was a Scholarship student as well?

"I'm Haruhi Fujioka."

Haruhi pointed to the princely boy, who continued to stare at Roseline as though she had sprouted horns.

"That's Tamaki Suou. He's the Host Club President."

Reluctantly, the most reluctant of the bunch, Roseline turned to face Kyouya and smiled as sincerely as she possibly could. She held her hand out, praying she wasn't shaking.

"I'm afraid we have not been properly introduced, milord Ootori."

Kyouya smiled with closed eyes, placing his hand in hers and holding on tight. Roseline held tighter, to the point that he could not pull away without her say so. Neither moved for several seconds, until she backed down and pulled away. Kyouya made no move to look harmed or even surprised.

"A pleasure." he charmed.

Roseline gave an affirmative nod once more. With all of this nodding and nodding, she felt like a bobble-head doll. Moving her hands to her side, she pinched the fabric of her dress tightly. It was softer than anything she owned, and every last bit of it felt wrong.

"As I said, it was lovely to meet all of you. I hope we shall get along famously, for our and milady's sake. If you will excuse me, I have duties to attend to."

Roseline turned sharply, leaving Tamaki, Koaru, Hikaru, Honey, Takashi, Haruhi, and Kyouya behind. She could feel their eyes on her back as she walked, head held as high as she could make it. At the stairs, when she was out of their sight, she let her shoulders fall. Her head drooped heavily, her heartbeat quickening. The image of Renge's star struck eyes and Kyouya's calculated smile ran through her mind. A shaky breath left her.

_Oh, Renge. What have you gotten us into? _


	2. Haruhi-kun?

A hideous banging sound came from some unknown corner of the room. Roseline groaned aloud and rolled over in her bed. Her eyes flew open in horror as a sudden falling sensation hit her. Wind slapped her face, followed by the knocking of breath from her lungs. Swaddled in blankets, she found herself on the ground in an unfamiliar room, blinking rapidly against the sleep in her eyes. When her heartbeat settled down, she detached herself from her cocoon and remade the destroyed bed to the best of her abilities. Last night was peculiar one for her; normally, she hardly moved an inch in the night. Besides the occasional smoothening, she had not had to make her own bed since arriving at the Houshakuji Manor.

Except, she wasn't at the Houshakuji Manor. She was with Renge in a cottage, near a lake in Japanese countryside. The cottage was several miles from Ouran Academy, yet another strange environment that Roseline had been thrown headfirst into. Yesterday, the day that her mistress Renge had decided to chase the love of her life, she had been officially enrolled into the school on an Arts Scholarship. In return, she was given an extensive list of responsibilities that, should she keep up with them, would in turn deliver her enrollment into any college of her choosing from anywhere in the world. Not a bad trade, she decided, but daunting nonetheless.

Cracking her knuckles, she grabbed the canary dress of a school uniform. The ruffles about the neck scratched her and the puffs on the sleeves were uncomfortable at their best. Still, they were ladylike. Ladylike was expected of the Ouran Women, and she feared that she was not up to the standard. Glancing in a mirror, she was met with sunken eyes swallowed by the color yellow. Covering her mouth, she laughed a little at the image. Her hair was tied back out of her face, in an eloquent braid that Claire had once taught her to perform. It had served her well during Drama rehearsals. It kept the hair from her face and from swinging about when she moved.

A sweet, slightly burnt smell seeped in through the crack under the door. Roseline smelt chocolate; it was a sixth sense with her to know when the decadent sweet was in her presence. She came into the kitchen, pausing to stare perplexedly at the sight of Renge baking. Her hair was in disarray, with flour and oil stains covering the sleeves of her gown and apron. A smear of chocolate decorated her cheek, covering chin to nose. Roseline bit back a laugh, watching Renge squirm for a few more seconds. Then, smiling as fondly as she could manage without crying from giggles, Roseline crossed the room and removed the whisk from Renge's hand.

"We should stop giving you toys, milady." Roseline laughed at Renge's pout.

Setting it in the sink, she turned her attention to Renge's face. She raised her thumb to her lips and licked the pad, moving to wipe at the sweet on Renge's face. Renge scrunched her nose, scowling as she allowed herself to be tidied up. When she looked relatively clean, minus the rat's nest atop her head, Roseline allowed her to move about.

"The cookies will be done soon." Renge mumbled, running oily hands through her hair.

Roseline didn't even bother to correct her, still irritated from Renge's ignorance of her advice yesterday. Mere seconds later, the timer on the oven rang. With a wave of her hand, Roseline moved Renge aside and pulled a pair of oven mitts on. She pulled the tray of obviously burnt cookies out and set the precariously on the counter. Huffing, she swatted at the steam emanating from them.

Renge moved before Roseline could stop her, pulling a wrapper out for the cookies. Her hand touched the pan as she brushed by. Time seemed to stop when Renge cried out, hissing through her teeth as the wrappers fell to the floor. Roseline froze as she held her hand tight to her chest, blowing on it and whimpering.

She grabbed Renge's wrist and pulled her gently over to the sink. Without a word, she turned on a flow of cold water and held Renge's burn under it. They didn't meet one another's eyes.

"You have to be more careful, Renge." Roseline murmured.

Renge, damn her pride, defended herself. "I was just making some cookies for Kyouya."

Turning the water off, Roseline pulled the burn close to her face, examining the severity. It was a baby pink, hardly a burn at all. She breathed cool air on it.

"I'm serious, Renge. Be careful."

Their eyes met for a second. Renge looked as though she might have said something back, but her eyes caught the cookies.

"Oh, Kyouya's cookies!" she gasped, shoving an oven mitt on her hand. Picking up the wrappers, she placed all of the little cookies inside. She shoved the warm wrapper into Roseline's hand.

"Hold onto these for me, Roseline. I'm going to freshen up for my Kyouya, and then we will head to the school."

Roseline blew a strand of hair from her face. "I'll be in the car, milady. Are you sure you don't want any help?"

Renge shook her head, clever fingers already moving to fix her hair. "No, no. I'll do it myself. I'm capable you know."

Roseline almost said doubtful, but the word came as "Definitely."

Renge trotted behind a screen into the room she called her own. The home really was small, by the standards of a manor. Still, it was easily bigger than the average cottage or even condo. She passed by one of the home's servants, a quiet boy called Lee. He didn't talk much, at all really, but he was courteous and polite enough. He held his hand out to her, very gentlemanly, and smiled. Roseline did not meet his eyes, as she refused the courteous gesture and shook his hand instead. A confused look crossed his face; she caught from a slight glance. This time, she didn't even blush. The look was commonly thrown toward her behavior.

Out in the yard, where cherry blossom tress decorated the walkway, a tabby cat lazily stalked by. The cat was property of the landlady, and called Isla. Roseline crouched low to the ground, clicking her tongue softly. Isla practically bounded to her, recuperation for Roseline's gift of tuna yesterday. Scratching Isla behind the ears lovingly, Roseline recalled when she had a cat of her own at the Houshakuji Manor. She had always been quite a cat person, and Mr. Houshakuji had bought her one to help her transition into the strange, luxurious place. The cat's name was Pierre; Roseline was deathly fond of him. But, one day when the doors were left open, he ran away. She hadn't had a pet since, but her fondness for the felines had never decreased nor faded.

She stood up and walked towards the long car in the street. Isla ran under her feet, mewling loudly as she demanded more petting. Roseline leaned down, lifting the cat in her arms and looking it square in the eye.

"You're cute and I'm gentle. Those things may not last long."

Isla raised a paw and touched her cheek, claws almost coming out. Roseline dropped her in surprise. Isla hissed loudly, sprinting away into the mass of pink petals. Roseline cringed, almost wishing she could speak cat so that she could apologize. The petals on the ground swarmed about her feet as she climbed into the backseat of the car. The chauffer, Hans, gave her a two fingered salute as a greeting. She grinned and returned it. Outside the window, Isla began strolling her way back around the neighborhood.

"Poor kitty cat." Hans sighed.

"I swear I didn't mean to drop her. I'm a cat person." Roseline defended.

Hans laughed. "You and miss Renge are two peas in a fanatical pod."

Roseline scowled again, sticking her tongue out for dramatics. Their conversation was cut short by the opening of another door. Renge climbed inside, dressed in her canary uniform identical to Roseline's. Her hair was tied back in her usual ribbon, brushed and cleaned, as pretty as her face. If one hadn't known that she had baked this morning, he or she would never be able to guess. Renge checked her reflection, probably for the hundredth time, in the mirror. Hans greeted her properly.

"Good morning, milady. You look as lovely as ever."

She widened her eyes, dragging her fingertips along her eyelashes. "I hope so."

Roseline didn't make a comment the whole ride there, staring out the window as a rock settled itself into her stomach. Today was her first day at Ouran Academy, and she had Drama sixth period, with the third years. What if she wasn't good enough? Earning a Scholarship amongst amateurs was nothing, but the elite students of Ouran Academy took their clubs seriously. Their Dramas were not _Grease_ and _The Wizard of Oz_, but _Hamlet_ and _A Midsummer Night's Dream_. It was a whole new level, one she did not know and could not even begin to anticipate. Not to mention how much rode on her remaining top of the class in said new environment.

Lost in thought, Roseline did not hear the announcement of their arrival. Renge leaned over and tapped her on the shoulder, motioning to the front doors of the school. Roseline flushed, muttering an apology as her companions laughed. She stepped out the car and walked around, holding the door open for Renge, guiding her forward with a gentle hand. Students buzzed about them, talking with one another about whatever it was that tickled their fancy for the day.

Renge breathed deep. "It's going to be a good day. I can feel it."

Roseline stared at the great looming clock tower. "Let us hope, milady."

Fifth period was a free period for Roseline, for already having the required English credits. Inwardly, she was congratulating herself for taking the European Literature class last year. The hallways were empty, void of all that bubbling life that took place during universal free time. Roseline quite enjoyed the solitude, for the moment. She walked aimlessly about the school, keeping a close watch on the clocks she came across. Tardiness would not be prudent of her for her first day. On the second floor, she decided to check into a library room, if only to find some new play materials. Undoubtedly Ouran would have a wider selection than other schools.

She opened the door of the first one a tad, and was struck with chatter and noise. The inside was chock full of people, hardly any of them actually reading or studying. One of the boys was shooting spitballs from the windowsill. Roseline's face fell dramatically. Maybe Ouran wasn't so different from most schools. In the back, at the tables, she was caught by several familiar but not familiar enough faces. Then, one caught her eyes or perhaps she caught hers. The girl from yesterday, the one with chestnut hair glanced up from her book and smiled at Roseline. With a waved hand, she called her forward, excusing her little friends away.

Roseline, never one to waste time, crossed through the room as quickly as she could, dodging spitballs as she went. As she neared, the girl scooted over on the bench, patting the seat next to her with wide, happy eyes. She had a worn copy of "Formal Dishware: The Van Garden to Victorian" in front of her, so perfectly worn that it could be none other's than hers.

"Hello, I'm afraid we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Kanako Kasugazaki. I'm a second year student as well. I believe we have Arithmetic together, during ninth period."

Roseline sat down, folding her hands on her lap as she mirrored Kanako's movements. One of the boy's spitballs whirred past them, sticking to a book hanging halfway off of the bookshelf. This was casual; she had to remind herself, do not act so formal. Relax.

"I'm Roseline Curtis. It truly is lovely to meet you."

Kanako scooted closer. "I heard that you're accompanying Renge Houshakuji. Is that true?"

Roseline stiffed, the former paranoia setting in. It was a rare day when people asked about her mistress with good intentions in mind. "Yes, milady, I serve as her personal attendant."

Kanako smiled sweetly, brushing hair from her eyes. "I've heard many great things about Renge. I hope for your sake that they are true."

Roseline nodded. "They are. Milady Houshakuji is a wonderful woman."

Kanako grinned at that, perfectly white teeth displayed between her cupid's bow lips. She was just too perfect that Roseline was wary of her. "Excellent. The Host Club needed a bit of new flair anyway."

Kanako moved to stand up, but Roseline caught her with a quick word. "How did you know about Milady Houshakuji's induction?"

Kanako looked surprised. "She told everyone. Did you not know?"

Roseline shook her head. Kanako just shrugged. "You might have not seen her since this morning. From what I last heard, she was on her way to the Host Club's room this period."

Roseline relaxed finally, standing up and taking Kanako's hands in her own. "Thank you, Milady Kasugazaki."

Kanako was not given a moment to respond, as Roseline hurriedly scurried out of the library room. To the best of her memory, which had served her well in years past, she walked yesterday's steps toward Music Room 3. When she came to the staircase, the dark haired girl from yesterday glanced up at her, from the floor below. Another chill ran down Roseline's spine, at the sight of her indifferent, dark eyes. The girl walked past when their gaze broke, acting as though nothing had even happened. Roseline waited for her skin to stop crawling before she ascended the staircase once more.

A perfect mirror of yesterday's events, Renge was waiting outside the doors of the music room, clinging slightly to the doorway. Grinning devilishly, for it was a rare occasion when she could be casual with milady, Roseline snuck up behind and wrapped her arms about her torso. Renge leapt up, the cookies almost coming out of her hands. When her 'attacker' dawned on her, a furious look overtook her features.

"You almost made me drop Kyouya's cookies, Roseline."

Roseline let go of her, raising her hands in a sign of mock surrender.

"My apologies, milady."

Renge just shook her head disappointedly, grabbing the handle of the door and peeking in. With a quick, practiced breath for calmness, she stepped inside. She held her cookies out with a pleasant expression.

"Hey, everyone. You'll be happy to know that your new manager, Renge, has baked all of you some cookies."

Roseline followed her into the room, met by the sight of Tamaki Suou dramatically walking towards them. He waved his arms about as he bowed to Renge.

"Ah, isn't she ladylike? I'm so moved by your generosity."

Renge scowled. "I didn't bake them for you, you phony prince."

Once again, the comment struck Tamaki and he sulked in the corner with dark clouds above his head. Renge caught sight of Kyouya and fled to his side, holding the wrapper of cookies out. She oozed so much puppy love that is was as though hearts were floating around her.

"I'm sorry I burnt them a little bit. I did the best I could, and I already know what you're going to say."

She gazed off into space, as Kyouya never said whatever she knew he was going to say. Roseline huffed in disappointment, watching Renge as she swayed in place with her eyes closed.

"Oh, you're always so sweet to me, Kyouya."

Roseline sighed, gliding over to Renge and taking a cookie from the wrapper. She bit down and felt the near teeth-breaking crunch. Swallowing, she reassured her.

"You know, they're not really all that bad."

Renge waved her hand again. "You're only saying that because they're chocolate chip."

Roseline smirked at her. "What more reason do I need?"

Behind them, Honey took a cookie for himself and ate it. His eyes grew wide as he talked around the mouthful.

"She wasn't kidding. These cookies really are burnt."

Morinozuka appeared behind him, a stern expression on his face. "Don't eat that, Mitsukuni, it's bad for you."

Renge stiffened, and then let loose an animalistic growl. Honey cried out, leaping into Morinozuka's arms as they ran from Renge's assault. She was furious; her hairs made her look like Medusa as she chased them. Roseline bounded after her, reaching out with claw like hands.

"Milady, I assure you he meant no disrespect!"

Honey teared up. "Waa! She's scaring me!"

Pity hit Roseline in the chest; she knew how intimidating Renge could be. With a slide, she caught Renge about the waist and held her back. Breathing deeply, she stopped her assault on Honey and Morinozuka, watching the rest of the Host Club as Haruhi accused Tamaki of sexual harassment. He vehemently defended himself. Lost in her own thoughts, Renge did not notice Honey approach her.

"Renge-chan, Renge-cha." he called. She looked down to be met with a pair of doe eyes, holding a bunny mug out to her, "Want some? It's milk."

She gazed away dramatically, and mumbled. "Lukewarm."

Roseline scrunched her eyebrows. "What?"

"Every single one of you," Renge exploded into furious screaming, "Except for Kyouya. All of your characters are lukewarm. Each of you needs to have some sort of dark side, you understand? Girls are vulnerable to handsome, young men who are troubled. If you keep carrying on like this, it's only a matter of time before the girls get tired of you and stop coming altogether. Are you trying to ruin my precious Kyouya's business? As your manager, it's my duty to change your character backgrounds."

The boys had all crowded into one group out of terror. The twins were pressed against one another, and Honey was cradled in Morinozuka's arms. Haruhi was the only one to appear confused, and Kyouya exasperated. Unsurprisingly, Tamaki was completely enveloped in what she had to say. Roseline could have stopped her, would have, but Renge was on a roll that would only steamroll over her if she got in the way.

"Let's start with you," Renge pointed accusingly to Honey, "If all you are is cute inside and out, then you're no different than a baby. Therefore, from now on you are the baby-faced thug!"

"And Mori-senpai, you'll be his childhood friend, The Flunkie. The twins will be basketball players enslaved in their own world. Haruhi, you're an Honors student who's constantly being bullied. And as for you, Tamaki, you're the school idol who's admired for your good looks, but you actually have an inferiority complex you're hiding from the world. The Lonely Prince."

Tamaki fell backwards, clutching his chest with amazement in his eyes. Renge giggled and spun to face the only remaining boy.

"And Kyouya, you're perfect just the way you are now. So I want you to stay as kind and affectionate as ever, kay?"

Kyouya bowed his head. "Thank you, I'm honored."

Tamaki spun around in circles in the middle of the room, talking to himself as a spotlight appeared over his head.

"The Lonely Prince. It's true, that title is perfect for me."

Haruhi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. She couldn't be farther from the truth."

Roseline watched as Renge bounced about. She opened her mouth and raised a hand to call her forth, but was caught by the sight of the twins pulling Kyouya aside. She cocked her head to better hear the conversation.

"C'mon Kyouya-senpai." Hikaru or Kaoru begged.

"You've got to do something." Kaoru or Hikaru pleaded.

Kyouya shrugged. "Why? It seems liked the boss is up for it."

Tamaki was draped dramatically against the wall, clutching the part of his chest where his heart was. Roseline stared unbelievingly at him.

"How does this look, Renge?" he cooed, "Do you think these poses work for a lonely prince?"

Renge swooned. "Oh wow, Tamaki. You're really good at that. But, you know, it would be even more effective if you were standing in the rain."

Everyone, Roseline softly included, groaned.

"Let's see how things turn out. I bet it will be interesting. It always is." Kyouya said.

Roseline had never liked Kyouya, but the tone is his voice marked the first time she was afraid of him.

Sixth period came easily through the clock, more difficult than anything through Roseline. Clutching a copy of "The Physiology of the Human Body and Expressions" to her chest, she waited anxiously on the other side of Auditorium 1. She was shaking from her head to her feet, staring through the glass at her classmates, all lounging lazily around and pulling impressive movements with their bodies atop the stage.

She swallowed, hand hovering over the handle. A pale hand came in and grabbed in instead, pushing the door open and stepping in. Roseline and the mystery person's eyes met for a minute. It was the girl with the blank stare, blushing faint pink in her cheeks. Roseline froze, gawking as she made her way into the crowd of people. No one seems to question her presence, despite the fact she stood out against the other drama kids like a black cat in a room of peacocks. All of Roseline's worries faded away in her confusion.

She didn't hesitate to open the door and stomp through, determined to get to the bottom of this girl's presence. Why did she have such a blank expression that sent such a hideous chill through Roseline? The room got quiet, all eyes flying to the uninvited presence. Roseline choked on her words in their wake. A pen's drop could have been heard, Roseline's heavy breathing certainly.

Then, a sudden thought came to her. These were show kids. Shyness and reserved attitudes were not welcome here. She swallowed her fear and her pride, standing tall and taking a seat in the bleachers as though she had done this everyday of her life. Someone she didn't recognize sent her a look of approval, everyone moving back to their original conversations as though nothing outside of their world of ordinary had happened. Minutes passed by, no more than five but a lifetime to Roseline, who waited impatiently for her favorite and most feared class to begin.

A professor came atop the stage, waving a stick in her outstretched hand. The room was silent in her presence, a respectful rather than fearful kind of feel in the air.

"Expressions!" she exclaimed, "The audience will see only a fraction of your expressions depending upon their seats. However, your portrayal of emotion and attitude are the key components of a performance. Can anyone tell me why?"

It was dead silent, and no one moved. Finally, the blank girl raised her hand high nto the air. The teacher pointed at her.

"Yes, Miss Kanazuki?"

Kanazuki spoke as empty as she stared, but her voice carried merits nonetheless.

"An expression creates the feeling of a character."

The teacher grinned. "Precisely! I need volunteers!" she tapped her fingers against her chin, staring around the room, "Miss Kanazuki, you come up here. And…Miss Curtis, you too."

Roseline sighed at her luck. She walked speedily across the room and clambered up onto the stage. Kanazuki turned to face her.

"This is Reiko Kanazuki. And this is Roseline Curtis. Both are lower years accepted into this class of Arts merits. Let's see what they can do."

The teacher stepped back, watching the two of them carefully. "I want you two to imitate the other's expression at this very moment."

Without hesitation, Kanazuki widened her eyes and pursed her lips. Her shoulders fell considerably. She looked frightened, determined, and cautious all at once. Roseline took no offense, and was impressed at her skill nevertheless. Thus, she retaliated. She lidded her eyes, kept her mouth in a straight line. She looked Kanazuki dead in the face, still maintaining a far-away look to the best of her ability. They held their expressions tightly, trying to avoid the temptation to smile, or laugh.

The teacher clapped her hands. "Excellent. A little rough, but excellent. Miss Curtis and Miss Kanazuki, you two are partners for any and all classroom performances."

This broke their expressions, as they stared at one another worriedly. The teacher took no notice, that or ignored them, and shooed them back into their seats. Another group after another group came up, as many combinations as the eye could see. Partners were made upon cooperation and compatible skill level, Roseline soon noticed. That would mean that Kanazuki, a little class D first year, had the same level of skill as her. She was intimidated. It was obvious this blank staring, mysterious girl had more talent than she was letting on.

Roseline was intrigued.

Cheers from the crowd broke through. Hikaru was dressed in the school's basketball uniform, leaping up for a slam dunk. When the ball went in, the scoreboard buzzed loudly and the crowd of hormonal women cheered loudly. Hikaru grinned, running around the field as he welcomed the praise. A cry to the left caught his ear. He turned to see Koaru, curled on the floor clutching his knee in agony.

"Get a stretcher. Take him to the infirmary immediately."

Hikaru ran to Kaoru's side, crouching low on the floor with mirrored pain in his eyes.

"Kaoru? Kaoru!"

The coach crouched next to them, placing a hand on Hikaru's shoulder.

"You have to get back in the game Hikaru. We need you."

Fury broke Hikaru's features as he threw the man's hand aside. "Shut up!"

Kaoru gasped. "Hikaru. Listen to me. Please don't worry; there's nothing you can do. You can't share my pain. You're not the one who got hurt."

Kaoru cupped Hikaru's face, staring deep into his tear rimmed eyes. "Now, go on."

Hikaru burst into tears, holding Kaoru's hand close to him. "I can't. It hurts, Kaoru. It hurts."

_Your pain is my pain. It doesn't matter to me if no one else understands. As long as we have each other we can go on living. _

The rain poured heavy over them, sticking blond hair to Tamaki's face as he hovered over the twins. He smiled mournfully.

"I'm sorry, but I'm envious. The way the two of you support each other like that."

Hikaru stared amazed. "But, Suou-senpai."

"How can you be jealous of us?" Kaoru added, "You're the schools idol."

Tamaki scoffed, brushing his hair from his eyes. "An idol. Right. I hate that people all worship me for something so superficial as my appearance. I think it would be much better for me to be alone."

_One lonely heart meets another. They pass each other, wounding one another. What are the hearts of these young men made of? _

Haruhi ran as fast as his legs could carry him, panting heavily. He glanced over his shoulder fearfully, blinded by the sting of the rain. He came to a tree, bracing himself upon it and struggling to regain his breath.

"You can't run away forever."

Haruhi gasped, back colliding into the tree as he slumped to the ground. Honey and Morinozuka stood before him, gazing cruelly and hungrily. With hair covering his doe eyes, Honey smirked.

"I'm going to show you what happens to anyone that crosses me

Morinozuka faced him. "Don't do it, Mitsukuni. You should have realized by now that whenever you hurt others, you're really just hurting yourself."

Honey locked up. "I didn't ask you for any advice. You want me to put you over my knee again?"

_Will it be the light of salvation that awaits these boys? Or will it be something else? _

Honey looked up, his blond hair falling back. All of the sweetness in his eyes was replaced with a tough look of confidence and cruelty.

"You know, it really pisses me off when people don't know their place."

Moments passed. All the ferocity fled his face as tears sprung back into his sweet eyes. He leapt into Haruhi's arms.

"I'm so sorry, Haru-chan. I can't do this anymore!"

Renge growled low in her throat, Roseline sighing next to her. "Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut! What's wrong with you? You've got to stick to the script!"

Honey cried out. "But I can't!"

Renge spun and pointed a script at the crew. "Stop rolling, camera man."

She stomped off, shouting at the crew. "I want the rain to make things seem tragic! And you…"

Roseline sighed, flicking the backsplash water of the scenes off her dress. All of the boys grabbed towels and moved to their chairs, chatting amongst each other-most likely about the ridiculousness of the script. Roseline herself was wondering where the originality of the story was, especially the character development. For one thing, how did Honey's character go from Haruhi's tormentor to his friend in a few simple scenes with no real development? She glanced pitifully at Renge. How many years had they known one another and she was still completely oblivious to the basic fundamentals of a story?

She grabbed a box lunch that Lee had sent her off with, settling into a chair near the boys. Nosy as ever, though she still claimed she and Renge were different in that department, she honed in on their conversation.

"How did we go from changing our characters to shooting a movie about them?" Hikaru or Koaru asked.

"And why is there an entire film crew here to shoot it?" Haruhi added.

"Apparently, she flew them in from Hollywood." Kyouya glanced up from his clipboard, "Don't you recognize the director? He directed the vampire movie, Millennial Snow, It was the number one grossing box office hit in America."

Haruhi sighed heavily, annoyed.

"And another thing, how come this stupid script portrays Kaoru as the pitcher?" Hikaru ranted. To which Koaru added, "Yeah?"

Haruhi looked lost. "What does that mean?"

"If you don't know, nevermind." The twins harmonized.

Roseline almost choked on her noodles, laughing into her hand. Her shoulders visibly shook and her face turned pink. Did they seriously make a reference to pitchers and catchers? Bless Haruhi's heart; she did not need to know what a pitcher was. From the rained upon distant woods, Honey and Morinozuka approached. They both had towels about their necks, Honey's pink and Morinozuka's plain white. Their hair was poorly dried, still dripping over their necks.

"What's so funny, Ros-chan?" Honey skipped to her side, leaning over the arm of her chair. Even when she was sitting, he scarcely came to her height.

Roseline swallowed her food, flicking a finger over her shoulder as she gasped out. "Them."

Morinozuka let a small smile break his features, as he nodded with a soft hum. Honey looked up at him and grinned from ear to ear.

"Yeah, they really are funny." Honey giggled, "What are you eating?"

Roseline flushed when she met his gaze. Men like Tamaki and Morinozuka she could handle, Kyouya and the twins even. A strong, wealthy, quiet, mischievous, determined, apathetic, wild, or any other form of a man all had one thing: a handsome form of confidence and arrogance. Honey was a boyish innocence, with no ulterior motives or evils to speak of. He was…adorable. Adorable was unreadable and that made Roseline uncomfortable.

"Just some hamburgers. Lee made them last night for Renge and I."

Honey leaned back, cocking his head a little. The water in his hair dribbled on his nose. "Who's Lee?"

Morinozuka placed a hand on Honey's shoulder, leaning down to dab at the fallen water. Honey twitched his nose like a rabbit, leaning away with a pout. Roseline glanced back down at her lunch, finding it had become much more interesting in these past few minutes.

Just as Honey was about the return to the conversation, a call came from the loudest voice in all of Roseline's memory.

"Roseline! We need your assistance!"

Roseline leaned her head down, smiling and shaking it in disbelief. Glancing back up to Morinozuka's stony expression and Honey's curious eyes, she shrugged.

"Sorry, boys. That's my cue."

She felt their eyes on her back as she walked away, trotting a little to cover the set's distance between them. Renge was crowded with the film crew about a set of monitors. She looked up at her, giddy and vibrant as ever.

"We need a deciding opinion, Roseline. Half of us think that Tamaki should be included in Honey's scenes and the other half think that Honey should be in the twins. We only have enough room for once more scene before the finale." Renge rambled, "You're fond of the theatre, so I assume you would have enough knowledge to suffice as a deciding opinion. Which would be better for the story?"

Roseline looked down at the monitors, showing screenshots of all the boys. Honey and Morinozuka towered over Haruhi in one and Tamaki over the twins in another. She hummed her thoughts.

"Why not put Tamaki and Haruhi together? Their characters seem more compatible, since Haruhi would be emotionally isolated after all the torment."

Renge gasped and stared at her as though she had grown a second head. Then, tears brimmed in her eyes. She stood slowly, approaching Roseline as though she may run at any given moment. Then, in a blinding flash of canary and brown, she flung her arms around Roseline and spoke into her neck.

"That's brilliant. The audience will love it! I'm so proud of you." She stepped back, "You there! Write in a scene where Tamaki and Haruhi have a heart to heart. I'll get started on the finale."

She stomped away, around the corner of the school building. The director tapped Roseline on the side. She glanced down to meet a gaze shrouded by sunglasses.

"Does it ever worry you how much she knows about this stuff?" he asked.

Roseline gave him a sympathetic smile. If she had a nickel for every time someone asked her that question, she could pay off her debt and Renge working for her (not that she would ever do that; she just could).

"I gave up thinking too much about it a long time ago. She likes what she likes."

The director nodded, and Roseline sat down beside him as he flicked through the monitors. Pictures of Koaru and Hikaru nose-to-nose close, Tamaki sulking in the rain, Haruhi struggling for breath around his fear, so on and so forth appeared. All of the shots were attractive and dramatic, capturing them in their worst moments looking their absolute best. Roseline whistled low.

"When they said it was a pretty boy movie, they weren't kidding."

The director smiled, mentally patting himself on the back. He pulled up at picture of Honey.

"Yeah, I'm particularly proud of this little fellow's shots. It's not every day a director can make someone cute look dangerous, and still maintain all the charm of his appearance." a picture of Haruhi came next, "He was interesting though. A very androgynous looking boy, isn't he? But, I think I did well nonetheless."

Roseline nodded, glancing over her shoulder at all of the crew. It was massive swarm of technology and people, surrounding the natural set of the school's grounds. With the trees leaning over everything, wilted in the false rain, the entire set had a dramatic and emotional feeling within it. The set was perfect for a tragic death or an emotional reunification scene, but not necessarily for the showing off of pretty boys in wet tee shirts. Not that there was anything wrong with pretty boys in wet tee shirts, just that they did not belong as a central purpose in the filming arts.

Roseline felt a rumble in her stomach, reminding her of the half-finished kimchee and noodles sitting in her chair. As she stood, a cry echoed over the entire set. Roseline's eyes narrowed, predatory like senses kicking. Her feet carried her, but she did not feel herself moving. When she bounded past a set of cameras, she sent them falling over atop someone. That someone cried out, but she was too far gone to listen-or to care. The cry was Renge's, which she was certain of. The someone was just someone, and that much she needn't be certain of.

Tamaki got to the origin of the sound first, a split second before Roseline rounded around the corner. She was met with a sight that made her sigh in relief, and feel terrible for sighing in relief. Haruhi was on the ground, clutching his gut. Renge was crouched before him, looking radiant and unharmed. She was watching Haruhi with concern, but Roseline still watched in awe at the lack of harm upon her.

"What happened, Haruhi?" Tamaki cried out, pausing to pant heavily from his run.

Haruhi glanced up at them; tears brimmed in the corners of his eyes. Tamaki gasped, his eyes becoming little more than slits when the rage set in. Two boys towered behind Haruhi and Renge, looking guilty and afraid. Roseline's heartbeat settled down, though she was still angry at Haruhi's treatment. Tamaki leapt forward, growling as he gripped one of the boys by the collar and slammed him up against a wall.

"So, which one of you jerks started this?" he hissed lowly, tightening his grip with every word.

"Wait, Suou, it's not what you think!" the other boy cried, "That girl started it. She was giving us a hard time."

Roseline clenched her jaw, watching the boy with meticulous attention. Haruhi stood up, still clutching his eyes.

"He's telling the truth, senpai." Haruhi mumbled, "It wasn't their fault. They were provoked."

Tamaki released hi death grip on the boy and fled to Haruhi's side. He was still rubbing at his eyes, grunting a little. The boys cried out 'Let's get out of here!' and ran away, flailing their arms. Roseline flew to Renge's side, running her hands all over her, checking for bumps and bruises. Renge blushed bright red, shoving her away.

"Stop it, Roseline." she hissed lowly, "You're embarrassing me."

Roseline ignored her request and jumped right back into her inspection. Her face came last, cupped gently in Roseline's hand as worrisome eyes studied every minor feature. Besides a overload of pink in her cheeks, everything was just as it was supposed to be. Roseline sighed, and pulled her close. Renge allowed herself to be held tenderly to Roseline's shoulder, but only for a moment. Then, she pulled back and turned her attention of Haruhi and Tamaki.

Tamaki tenderly held Haruhi's face, blushing and on the verge of tears. He whispered low, with all the affection and worry in the world.

"Haruhi? Are you in any pain?"

"Mm, yeah." Haruhi mumbled, "It's my contact."

Tamaki's face fell, his eyes wide and confused. "Your…contact?"

Haruhi smiled. "Yeah, I guess it must have slipped out."

Tamaki pulled back, amazement in his eyes. Then, he started laughing in the way one does when their entire world has brought itself back into place.

"I see how it is," he chuckled, "You're able to cry without using eye drops. So, you're a full-fledged Host now!"

Haruhi held his contact in hand and smiled. Renge sputtered for her words.

"You…you…please tell me you got that, camera man."

"Yes, boss." he flashed a thumbs up.

"Other than Haruhi's contact falling out, that was an ideal final scene. All it needs now is a moving narration by my sweet Kyouya."

The loud sound of glass shattering hit them all. Roseline spun to see Kyouya smashing a lens against the bulb of the camera, eyes closed and head hung dramatically.

"Woah! What'd you do to me camera?" the cameraman wailed.

"What?" Renge asked pitifully, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot allow there to be any record of a club member engaging in violence," Kyouya spoke with authority, "I think you've caused enough trouble around here Renge. Please stop being such a pest."

Renge, the world entirely, froze. "A pest?" she whispered to herself. Her chin began dripping, and Roseline looked up to see Renge furiously crying.

"But you're supposed to pat me on the head and tell me not to worry. You're supposed to be kind and affectionate, Kyouya. Why are you acting so differently now? Tell me why!"

Tamaki, once again, spoke before Roseline could. "Because that's not the real Kyouya."

Renge gasped, turning to face him. All strength left her, driving her to her knees in broken sobs. Roseline rushed to her side, dropping down beside her and holding her close.

"Renge, milady, please." she whispered so quiet only the two of them could hear, "You will be alright. I swear it. I swear it on my life, please."

"Does it really matter?" Haruhi asked, "Who cares if Kyouya is a little different than you expected him to be? Take a good look at the person inside and get to know them little by little. It's a lot more fun that way."

Renge stared at him in wonder, the tears fading from her eyes. Roseline, too, watched the boy as though the sun shone about him.

Haruhi smiled with his eyes closed, charmingly and handsomely. Arms still about Renge, Roseline decided something to herself.

What she said yesterday was wrong. Ouran had plenty of beauty as it was.

Several days later, the Host Club opened its doors as usual. The boys were all sat on one of the couches facing the other, where all of their guests giggled and squealed to their heart's delight.

"Hello, ladies. Come on in." Tamaki welcomed them.

One of the girls blurted out. "I bought that video of the film you made."

"I bought it too!"

"And so did I!"

The girls broke into furious discussion about the film, as six of the seven boys stared around confused.

"That scene in the rain was just phenomenal!"

"I love the lonely prince!"

"And the loving relationship between Hikaru and Koaru was so sweet!"

"I want to see Honey act like a thug again!"

"I couldn't get enough of Haruhi's poignant expressions!"

Tamaki raised a hand, asking suspiciously. "Kyouya?"

Kyouya scribbled away in his little black book. "I may have broken the camera's lens, but the footage that we'd already shot wasn't damaged. Naturally, I did cut out that one violent scene. Sales have been pretty good so far. That Hollywood film crew did a fantastic job, but then I guess that's to be expected."

The twins stared unamused. "Is this what you meant by interesting?"

Kyouya defended himself. "It's best to have as much money as we can in the club's budget."

In the far end of the room, where the doors opened for a grand entrance, Roseline and Renge stepped through. The room was unfilled of the previous theme, but it was as grand and extravagant as Roseline remembered t nonetheless.

"Good day, everyone." Renge called out sweetly. Roseline savored the sound.

"Renge?" Tamaki puzzled, "Roseline? But I thought you had gone back to France already."

Renge stared downward shyly. Roseline just shrugged with a pleasant smile on her face. "I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner," Renge swooned, "It was so chivalrous of you to risk your life to protect me. I could feel the love when you lectured me about judging people."

Renge leapt forward and grabbed Haruhi's hand, holding it close to her body with her own. "When you said it was fun getting to know people little by little, you were talking about me."

Haruhi spoke uncertainty, and not to Roseline's surprise. "Yeah…"

Tamaki seethed in the corner, as Renge tugged Haruhi away with her. "Come on, Haruhi. Let's go to my house and play some games together. I think it's time you go to know me better."

Roseline laughed aloud at the sight, eyes gleaming with unturned joy. It was a refreshing sight to see Renge so giddy, especially with someone so worth it. Haruhi proved himself in the days past, and Roseline approved entirely. Whether she and Haruhi's romance was merely in her head or not, Roseline approved.

"Be careful with him, Renge!" Roseline called after them, still laughing. The twins crowded next to Kyouya, eyebrows rose.

"Hey, Kyouya-senpai." Hikaru or Koaru began.

"You okay with that?" Koaru or Hikaru finished.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he replied pleasantly, a little smile on his face, "Everything Renge said is true."

"No it isn't!" Tamaki yelled.

"But I thought you were the one who wanted her to have a female friend in the first place?" Kyouya teased, his smile still in place.

"Well, yeah. A female companion, not a girlfriend!"

Roseline turned her head with wide eyes, pieces of a puzzle she didn't even know existed falling into place.

"_Her?_" she asked with disbelief apparent. All the color drained from Tamaki's face as he met Roseline's eyes. The rest of the boys stared with regret and fear in their eyes as well. Moments of complete silence passed between them, until Roseline erupted with a loud and uncontrollable laughter.

"Poor Renge!" she cackled into her hand, "That answers so much!"

A nervous smile came over Tamaki, as he watched Roseline with twice the fear in his eyes. The first hos to speak was Honey, perched atop Morinozuka's shoulders.

"Ros-chan sure does laugh a lot." he said offhandedly.


	3. If Something's Wrong, Everything's Wrong

Roseline followed Renge and Haruhi from a safe distance. Currently, Renge had the poor girl's arms in a death lock of admiration as they paraded through the gardens of the school. The soft winds of spring filled the atmosphere, and Roseline used it to her advantage. The shooing of leaves was more than enough sound to mask the heavy footsteps her uniform shoes created. Blame her all you like, but Roseline was very careful when it came to her mistress and her happiness. Whatever happiness would become of her in the long run was especially important. The gardens about them were beautiful, and thankfully the bushes were just tall enough for Roseline to crouch behind and stalk from an appropriate vantage point. That wasn't creepy, was it?

Haruhi sat Renge down at a fountain, smiling as politely as she could without looking fake. Renge ate the bashful look up, cupid-bow lips flying a unnatural speed as she went on and on about the appeal of Haruhi's character. She mentioned something about how her natural appearance faded even into her face, making her look both feminine and masculine…but mostly feminine. Biting back a smirk, Roseline recalled overhearing a conversation that confirmed such suspicions.

Haruhi Fujioka was actually a girl, dressed in the men's uniform and acting as a Host for whatever reason. None of the other Hosts would tell her, except to make poorly disguised threats about Roseline's fate should the secret ever get out. As if she wasn't already afraid of Kyouya enough. Apparently, the Ootori family had a private police force that could track her down in any continent without hesitation or failure. That served only to comfort her.

Renge scooted closer to Haruhi, almost to the point that she was in her lap. Haruhi tried her best to ease away, but Renge was having none of it. Roseline studied the near flat canvas of Haruhi's chest, the nonexistent curve of her hips, and the effeminate air about her that was also lacking. It would be easy to mistake her for a boy, as many others in the school had. It was obvious that Renge would never come to such a conclusion on her own; the very thought was worrisome. Mere days ago, Renge had nearly had her heart shattered by the realization of Kyouya's identity. Or lack of more likely. What would she do when she discovered Haruhi's gender, and yet again one of her loves has turned into someone she no longer knows? To the best of Roseline's knowledge, Renge was not attracted to both men and women, and certainly not women alone. Lost in her train of thought, Roseline didn't notice as a pair of ginger haired devils snuck up behind her.

As she stared through the briars of a rose bush, she felt warm breath on the nape of her neck. Her muscles locked in and in mere seconds terror set in. Just as she was about to cry out, her shoulder was caught in a delicate grip.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Hikaru or Koaru purred.

"What would Renge think if she saw you?" Koaru or Hikaru taunted.

Turning her head slowly, Roseline shot them a look of daggers and poison. At the sight, they grinned wickedly at one another and sat down in the grass beside her. Their arms locked behind her and shoulders kept her torso firmly in place. Using their abnormally long legs to their advantage, they had her pinned in a Hitachiin cage. Sighing quietly, she leaned against the bush and stared defeated at them.

"What do you want?"

Hikaru, so she gathered from the right part in his hair, tilted his head back and stared at the sky. Koaru twisted a blade of grass between his fingers absentmindedly. The silence filled the air for several minutes, making Roseline grow more and more nervous by the second. Finally, Hikaru chuckled lowly and met eyes with Koaru, as though Roseline were no longer in their presence.

"Now or later, Koaru?"

A pout overcame Koaru's features. "Might as well tell her now, though her squirming is half the fun."

They shared a laugh at that, closing in their legged wall to force Roseline's knees to her chest. Her hands balled into fists, senses on red alert. Should it come to it, she was unafraid of a fight. Her only concern was the unfair advantage of a two on one.

"Listen up, Roseline." Hikaru began.

"Because we are only going to tell you once." Koaru finished.

They spoke in unison, probably the most frightening and unnatural thing that Roseline had ever witnessed.

"Milord is uncertain of your loyalties, especially after your new found interest in Haruhi." They flicked their thumbs over to the happy couple sitting on the bench, "Therefore, in order to keep you and your mouth in check, we are requiring you to have some sort of supervision at any and all school hours."

Roseline scoffed at them, pushing her legs out to break their chain. Hikaru rolled his eyes at the challenge, blocking her exit with his remaining arm. She glared at him and spoke with malice. "And if I refuse?"

The twins looked as though she had cancelled Christmas. "Our warnings stand as they are. We cannot afford for Haruhi's secret to be revealed. And, nothing against your physique, but even Tamaki could escape the Ootori police force before you."

Roseline searched their faces of the tell-tale blink, a twitch of the lips, or a mere glance away. She waited for all the little signs of lying that she had gathered over the years. Either they were C.I.A. level liars or they were telling her the truth. She wasn't sure which she feared worse. Koaru picked up on her unease the quickest.

"It won't be anything extreme. At least, not too terribly. The rules are pretty simple really."

"Yeah," Hikaru continued, "Just come to the Host Club during your free period, stay with Renge or in a class outside of them, and allow a Host to accompany you to school events and transition classes."

Roseline began to wonder if they knew the definition of extreme. Here they were, demanding that she conform to rules that practically put her under a conformed arrest. All her free time was being consumed by Renge or the Host Club, school included obviously but that was a given. A nagging thought entered her head.

"What exactly are you thinking I'll do?"

They shrugged. "Tell someone about Haruhi obviously, but mostly boss is afraid that you'll tell his dad."

Roseline rolled her eyes. "Why would I do that?"

They shrugged again, standing up and wiping the grass from their pants. Roseline rolled the soreness her ankles, a gift of their constricted position before.

"Motive is Kyouya's department, not ours."

They gave her a flirtatious wave of the hand and strutted across the field with their arms linked. All the young ladies in their path swooned at the sight of them so close, their hips practically bumping one another when they walked. Hikaru's hand slid down Koaru's back until he was firmly holding onto the small of it, clutching him close and leaning over to whisper who knows what in his doppelganger's ear.

Roseline huffed, turning back to peer through the branches of the bush. She was met with a lone Haruhi, finally standing up from the fountain and making her way back into the building. That meant Renge was already on her way somewhere, most likely to find Roseline. Panicking at the idea of being caught, Roseline rushed back into the school's main building and started contemplating where Renge would go first to find her. The students in the hallway stared at her incredulously as she ran, looking as though her life depended upon her destination. With Renge's temper as it was, her life very well may. Halfway up the steps to check Renge's next class, the twin's words whispered in her ear again. She was to spend all of her free periods with the Host Club, no exceptions. Her eyes flickered hopelessly from one hallway to the next, wondering which rule to break. Renge or Ootori? Who did she fear, or respect, more?

In the end, she dashed up another staircase to Music Room 3. What could she say? She feared Kyouya more than Renge, and could probably explain her absence to her than she could to them. Perhaps she could convince Renge to accompany her to the Host Club when their free time was aligned. That would save her from breaking any deals, and give her someone she understood to talk to amidst the swooning of love struck fanatics.

At the top of the staircase, she realized something. The sign was completely blurry to her, and had it not been for her knowledge of the room's whereabouts, she might have passed it unseen entirely. Squinting, she tried to see if perhaps it was due to any moisture in her eye. It helped a little, but the words were still massively out of focus. Roseline let out a frustrated sound. Sadly, that was problem to deal with another day.

She walked over to the room and through the doors, to be met with the sight of the Host Club in full activity. Tamaki was surrounded by his usual swarm of princesses, Hikaru and Koaru had about four girls they were entertaining currently, Haruhi was distributing towels and tea to all of the guests, and the MoriHani duo were focused completely on a single girl. Roseline wondered how much the poor girl had to pay to swing that for even five minutes. Knowing Kyouya, even as limitedly as she did, he would not allow his Hosts to be cheap.

Tamaki caught sight of her when the door closed with a soft bang. He smiled to himself and waved his hand to someone. Unsurprisingly, Kyouya appeared with his little black book in hand and a pleasant smile on his face.

"Good afternoon, Roseline. I'm glad to see that the twins were successful in the establishment of our agreement, yes?"

Roseline gritted her teeth at the unfairness of the deal. What had she done to prove herself untrustworthy? "They were clear, all right."

"Good," Kyouya took notice of, but completely ignored, her irritation, "There are several seating options about the room. I ask only that you not look as sour as you do now."

Roseline stared incredulously at him, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. Her hip cocked out as it did whenever she was annoyed. "Excuse me?"

"Sour faces make for a bad atmosphere. Just appear as though you are having fun. Sleep if you wish, but do not sulk."

He smiled pleasantly again and strayed off, back to whatever hovel of genius and evil he had come from. Roseline watched him go and though to herself how easy it would be to dislike someone like him. She had to admit though; he did have a certain style and determination that was admirable. Admirable when not pointed at her mostly. She scanned the room for an open chair and came up with several options.

All of them were too close to the thick of the Hosting for her comfort though, and she was welcomed with the sight of a reclining armchair near the window. Sun shone through on the isolated spot, settled in front of a mahogany table with the necessary tea cups already in place. A small layer of dust could be seen descending from the window. Roseline wondered how long it had been since the window seat had last been in use.

Smiling to herself, as though her morning had gone as delightfully as she had planned it to, she strutted dover to the table and sat down. Sulking was her first instinct, but it was forbidden. Her knowledge of expressions served her well here, as she gazed wistfully out the window and dropped her eyelids. She pictures all sorts of strange things to bring a blush to her cheeks, and tilted the corners of her lips up. In her mind's eye, she was the spitting image of a Host Club guest lost in her hormonal fantasies. To everyone else, it appeared that way too, and Roseline was suddenly glad that Renge was not here to accompany her.

In the background, she heard a disagreement amongst the Hosts, and the squealing of girls, but she paid no mind to it. Look where eavesdropping had already gotten her; a repeat offense was not something she strived for. As she continually stared out the window, she began to grow bored of the constant reminders to keep her expression light and the lack of interest that occurred outside. It seemed as though she would never learn, a she turned in her hcai rot people watch the Host Club. Perhaps she should simply be careful of whats he listened to rather than who.

All of the girls were crowded about a computer, chattering on about how great Haruhi looked. One made the comment of how good she might look in women's clothing. Roseline smiled to herself, savoring the irony before it had fled her. Haruhi stood annoyed over in the back left of the room, as the twins taunted her about something or another. Suddenly, a large black door opened. Had that door always been there? A cloaked, shadowy figure peeked through. Roseline stood, curiosity getting the best of her, as she met with the other spectators at the door.

"You want a toy?" the man spoke, with a husky creepiness to his tone, "Toys. Toys. If you like toys, then you should come and visit my black magic club. We've opened a marketplace that boasts black magic items from across the globe. We're also holding mass around the clock. If you visit right now, I'll even throw in a free curse doll. You can have Belzenaf as you free gift."

The man held up a hand puppet in the shape of a cat, rubbing its paws together menacingly. A smaller figure appeared below him, peering in through the shadows as well. The blank, apathetic stare of Kanazuki met eyes with Roseline. Even amidst the emotionlessness, Roseline caught the subtle warning of a quirked brow. She turned her attention back to the male figure, granting the girls request as she ignored her presence.

Tamaki appeared to the front of the crowd, apprehension and distaste showing from his reluctance to meet them. Kyouya continued scribbling in his book as he walked by, answering questions that no one had asked again.

"Nekazowa-senpai likes to hide. He doesn't really care for brightly lit places."

"Don't get involved with that guy, Haruhi." Tamaki whispered ominously, "If you do, you'll end up being cursed."

Haruhi leapt back from the shock, holding her hands close to her chest in a protective stance. "Do you have any basis for that?"

Roseline leaned in, watching with rapt interest at the spectacle. She was not the only girl doing the same.

"Yes," Tamaki stared down in flashback horror, "It happened during final exams at the end of the last school year. It's terrifying just to talk about it. On that faithful day, I accidently stepped on that weirdo Nekazowa's cursed doll, Belzenaf. Afterward, I took my exam in the entire test was written in some strange lettering. I looked to the others for help around me and realized that I knew none of them. I was all alone in a different dimension!"

Honey held his hands to his face, shaking from his head to his feet. "Scary!"

Haruhi sounded as though she may run or cry. "Did that really happen to you?"

Kyouya sounded completely done with the lot of them. "That only happened because you were so scared, you accidentally walked into the Beginning Greek class and took their exam."

Roseline looked at Tamaki and wondered if anyone could be that paranoid and stupid at once.

"No!" Tamaki cried, leaping forward, "It was a curse. I know because three days later, I woke up and my legs were as heavy as lead. Just how do you explain that?"

Kyouya did not even meet his eyes. "Your legs were heavy because you ran a marathon the day before. Remember?"

Yes, it was very possible to be that paranoid and stupid at the same time. Nekazowa-senpai approached them with Belzenaf still in hand.

"You shouldn't underestimate the dark powers of Belzenaf the curse doll. All you have to do is write the name of someone you hate on his back, then that person is certain to come face to face with misfortune."

Roseline watched as Kanazuki stared admirably at Nekazowa, and proudly at Belzenaf. She wondered how a Drama kid got involved in the Black Magic Club, or perhaps the other way around.

Hikaru and Koaru talked disbelievingly to each other behind her.

"Wow, this guy really is dark. In more ways than one." Hikaru commented.

"So, supposedly he hates bright lights. I wonder what he'll think of this." Koaru added mischievously. Roseline felt the proposition, and the threat, in the air.

She turned to see Koaru flash a bright flashlight in Nekazowa-senpai's face. He cried out in agony, scrambling about the room screaming at the top of his lungs.

"You murderers!" he wailed, as he ran back inside the door he emerged from, tugging his cloak tighter over his form. Roseline watched concern, the first emotion she had seen of her, cross Kanazuki's face as she closed the door behind them. The twins met one another's eyes and shrugged as if they had done nothing wrong. Tamaki gawked at them in horror.

"How could the two of you do such a thing? Obviously you don't know the true terror of black magic!"

The twins walked away, taking Roseline's spot in the seats by the window, gazing out without a care in the world.

"I am so bored." Hikaru complained.

"Isn't there anything fun we can do around here?" Koaru criticized.

Tamaki gawked at them once more, before magically appearing in the corner to sulk once more. Haruhi stood beside Roseline at watched the whole spectacle, just as lost as in wonder as her companion.

"Hey, Haruhi," the twins called, "We've got a favor to ask you."

She scowled. "What is it?"

"The next time we get a day off," Hikaru started.

"Can we come over to your place to hang out?" Koaru finished.

Tamaki seemed to perk up in the corner, not that Haruhi notices. Roseline was beginning to wonder if she was just as oblivious as the Host Club President. Merely in a different way.

"Why would you want to do that?" she questioned suspiciously. The twin approached.

"We're curious. We want to see where you live."

Haruhi scowled again and looked away. "No way."

Roseline almost laughed at the way she shot them down, and the whine they created afterwards. It took all she had in her not to request a high five of Haruhi.

"Pretty please?" they asked again, poking their lower lips out in an attempt out cuteness.

"No way. You guys are just going to make fun of me."

A glint shined in the twin's eyes. Roseline worried for what that might mean. "No matter how much we beg you?"

Haruhi was thoroughly unamused, and Roseline couldn't picture that's he would be any different in her situation. "No way."

Tamaki appeared from his sulking, surrounded by roses and beginning yet another dramatic monologue.

"I, too, have been thinking that it's about time I pay my respects to our beloved Haruhi's family."

Roseline placed a sympathetic hand on Haruhi's shoulder, whispering the anticipated phrase as Haruhi uttered it for the fourth time. "No way in hell, senpai."

The twin's magically recovered their green hats, which covered their hair parts and served to make them near identical. They appeared behind Haruhi, taking Roseline's place as they hovered.

"We can settle this with a game. If you can't pick out which one of us is Hikaru, then your penalty will be the two of us coming over to your house later tonight."

Confident in their chances, they stood back to back with arrogant smirks on their faces. They ran about each other, mixing up whatever order one might have already established. Grinning, they spoke in unison again.

"Okay, which one of us is Hikaru?"

Haruhi did not even hesitate as she pointed to each of them. "This one's Koaru, and this one's Hikaru."

They grinned at one another. "Uh-oh, you got it wrong."

Haruhi was unfazed by their antics. "No, I know I'm right. You guys may look alike, but you're very different."

The twins grins fell, and they looked at Haruhi with pure awe and pure disbelief in their eyes. Then, they met one another's eyes as they seemed to question themselves. Roseline and several of the other girls crowded about Haruhi in curiosity.

"How did you do that, Haruhi?" Roseline asked, trying to find differences amongst the twins herself.

"Whenever they wear those hats to cover up which way they part their hair, it's practically impossible to try and figure out which twin is Hikaru and which one is Koaru." Another girl explained.

"How can you tell them apart?" a third asked in amazement.

Haruhi pondered her answer. "Hmm, well how do I put it? It's kind of difficult to explain. But Hikaru's speech and actions make him come across as little more mischievous than Koaru."

The twins listened with the most rapt attention out of everyone, staring one another down trying to find the exterior clues themselves. Finally, Koaru began to laugh into his hand, sheepishly meeting his brother's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hikaru, I don't mean to laugh." He laughed harder despite his claim. Hikaru stared haughtily forward.

"Well, I don't see what's so funny. I'm honest, I speak my mind, and I don't hold back. It's sneaky people like Koaru who are the trouble makers."

Koaru stopped laughing, staring at Hikaru with menace in his eyes. A tone of a much more serious demeanor snuck into their voices.

"Don't turn this on me, Hikaru. After all, I'm the one who is always going along with all of your selfish games."

Hikaru nearly growled in retaliation. "I may suggest them, but you're the one who really gets into them, Koaru. If you hate them so much, then why don't you just stop?"

"Because I'd hate to see you make an ass of yourself in front of everyone."

Everyone's attention was focused completely on the twins and their bubbling quarrel.

Koaru continued. "It was your idea to call Haruhi our toy, but I noticed you were quick to make a pass at him. Admit it Hikaru, you're actually in love with Haruhi. Aren't you?"

Tamaki held his hands to his face, rubbing furious red into his cheeks. "What?"

Hikaru ignored him. "You've got it all wrong, Koaru. Man, you're such a freaking idiot!"

Tamaki joined in again, flailing his arms. "Yeah, there are some things in this world that must never be said."

Hikaru turned away from his brother, but Koaru continued to argue. "Why would I fall for him? I mean he looks like a Tanuki."

Tamaki was livid. "How dare you call him a raccoon dog? You're going to pay for that."

The twins gawked at Tamaki and his scrambling. Suddenly, a high pitched and far too familiar laughter filled the air. The sound of metal grinding together welcomed an opening in the floor. A stage arose from the ground, with a dramatic looking Renge standing atop and speaking to all.

"Our beloved Haruhi is in the middle of a beautiful, yet poignant four-sided romantic relationship. And to make it even more exciting, two of Haruhi's admirers are twins, torn apart by love. Just the thought of it could make me eat three bowls of rice!"

The twins harmonized. "Oh, butt out Otaku."

Renge burst into tears. "You guys are meanies, you shouldn't say something like that to you manager."

Roseline approached the stage warily, staring up at Renge with confusion and slight anger in her eyes.

"Milady, what are you doing up there?"

Renge looked down, a sly and excitable grin overtaking her face. "Roseline, what are you doing down there? Visiting the Host Club I take it?"

Roseline turned bright red, taking a few steps back. "Oh no, no. It's not what you think."

Renge held the bridge of her nose between two fingers, gazing wistfully down. "Oh, I knew it would happen eventually. Roseline, you're curiosities are growing! Don't worry, my pet, embrace the change and savor the feel of womanhood!"

Roseline face palmed and whispered "Someone kill me now."

Tamaki approached Renge, who had descended to the floor to better speak with them.

"But, Renge," he argued, "I thought you had feelings for Haruhi as well."

Renge's eyes lit up in adoration. "Oh, I do. But I have no problem with Haruhi having a homosexual relationship on the side."

It took all Roseline had not to claim the homosexual part would not be the on the side one, but her word was her word. And Kyouya was watching her with apprehension and his fingers clutched around his cell phone.

Haruhi leaned over to talk to Renge. "I'm confused. I thought that you had decided to go back home to France, Renge."

Renge blushed and giggled as the stars flew about her. "Well, I was going to start up a Host Club of my own, but I don't think France is ready for a Host Club just yet."

Haruhi sighed.

"Cut it out already!"

The attention was turned back on Hikaru and Koaru and their continuing quarrel.

"You're the one who's always crawling into my bed, talk about annoying." Hikaru threw insults.

"I only do that cause' you look lonely. I wouldn't choose to sleep in your bed, you idiot."

The girls watching swooned at that, one falling into the noodle arms of another. She dropped her on the floor, and neither seems to mind.

"Who are you calling an idiot? You're the one who sucks at math."

"Oh yeah? Well you're failing your foreign language class, you big dummy."

Kyouya continued to scribble away in his notebook, the gears in his head visibly turning with each word. Hikaru's face turned red, and Koaru's neck was visibly tightening.

"The way you grind your teeth is deafening."

"At least I don't toss and turn so much that I fall out of bed."

"Sex pixie!"

"Sicko!"

In unison, they shouted "You're momma wears too much make up!"

Roseline wondered if they connected the dots on that one too, or if they were too infuriated to notice.

"That's it, we're over!"

The twins stomped out of the room, taking different doors and trying to subtly use their sleeves to wipe the tears from their eyes. All of the girls stared wistfully out the door, waiting for something to come next. Roseline studied the door and thought about the things they said. More importantly, the way they said them. Their transitions were too smooth for a normal argument, but they were not normal brothers. Still though, something was off.

Haruhi walked Roseline to her homeroom class the next day, as per request of the great Kyouya. It took mere seconds of their conversation for Roseline to discover that Haruhi was completely ignorant of their deal, and therefore it was expected of Roseline to continue that ignorance. They strolled down the corridor, arms locked in a way that made Haruhi the lady and Roseline the gentlemen. Both seemed much more comfortable with that arrangement, or perhaps Haruhi was as versatile in attitude as she was androgynous in appearance. The girls about the hallway whispered to one another about them, Roseline could see it in their flickered glances. She was almost irritated, until she heard one of them speaking a tad too loudly.

"I wonder how much the new Host Club package is. I would just die if Tamaki walked me to my morning classes."

Her friends agreed dreamily, clutching one another for comfort in their vulnerable state. Roseline giggled at that, and Haruhi even cracked a little smile. The blurry signs above the, passed, and Roseline was maneuvering them off of her remembrance of the class's position. Haruhi didn't seem to notice.

When they came to the end of the hallway, where a mass of children were hoarded about in anticipation for the bell, Haruhi released Roseline and gave her a sincere smile. She glanced up at the sign above the door and her face visibly fell. Roseline took a half step forward, ready for anything that may have upset Haruhi. After all, she did owe her a great deal.

"Um…Roseline?" she asked, still staring at the sign.

Roseline flicked her own gaze up to it, and was unsurprised to find that it was illegible to her. "Yes, Haruhi?"

"I didn't know you took French. Seems rather counter-productive, don't you think?"

Roseline blushed bright red and squinted in an attempt to read the sing. The letters just barely formed to make Conversational French. She held her mouth with her hand and refused to meet Haruhi's eyes.

"It seems as though I have come to the wrong door. Please, escort me to Creative Writing 101."

Haruhi latched arms with her again, this time leaning over to whisper to her. Her breath tickled Roseline's ear.

"Roseline, can you see?"

Roseline tried not to blush further. "Not very well of late. It was better before, but it only seems to be worsening. Far away things always seem blurry, but I haven't had the time to get my eyes checked. And now I won't because-"

She halted her explanation there, remembering Haruhi's lack of in the know on her current arrangement. Haruhi stared expectantly, waiting for her to continue. When she did not, Haruhi accepted it with grace and continued to guide her to her classroom. They stopped at a door two down, one that Roseline was mildly embarrassed that she had missed. Haruhi bowed slightly, turning on her heels to leave when Roseline spoke up, unaware that her own lips had even begun moving.

"I meant to thank you."

Haruhi glanced over her shoulder, big brown eyes staring curiously at her. Her hair fell over one of them, serving to make any watchers heart flutter at the sight. She was a very pretty girl, indeed.

Roseline swallowed and smiled politely. "I meant to thank you…for comforting Renge when I could not. She means a lot to me, as did you actions."

Haruhi closed her mouth, and smiled with her eyes closed. The face she made was truly endearing.

"You're welcome, and I pretty much figured the rest out on my own."

Roseline was caught off guard, mentally dissecting her own sentence in an effort to understand Haruhi's outburst. Before she could ask what it was that she had meant, Haruhi was already halfway down her own route and far from Roseline's call. As she watched her go, books now held tight to her chest as she pondered, she noticed that Haruhi was a lot smarter than people gave her proper credit for. She was an Honors Student, why shouldn't they notice more?

Ignoring her own sense of Haruhi's entitlement, Roseline turned and stepped into the classroom when she heard the bell ring. Her teacher was sat at his desk with all of his writing on the board. Doing as she had to for a while now, Roseline sat up front and squinted. She needed glasses badly, she knew and her teachers probably too. With her job with Renge, her deal with the Host Club, and her necessity for sleep, where was she to find the time?

When she couldn't even get past the first sentence without major effort, she made up her mind. There was some way to do it, and damn if she wasn't going to find it.

When fifth period rolled around, the first years had already had their lunch and news of the twins extensive food fight had travelled like wildfire all throughout the halls. Roseline trudged up the stairs, passing Kanazuki by and catching the friendliest look she'd ever seen her give. Her eyes actually opened more than halfway. When she glided into the Music Room 3, she found the boys-and Haruhi-about a table with a thick atmosphere all around them. Kyouya looked up from his clicking away on a calculator, gracing her with one of his equally calculating smiles. Without a word, for what were words between these two anyway, he motioned toward her chair by the window.

She nodded, shuffling over to the dusty table and resting her elbows atop it. The sunlight from the window peered through, and it served no good in the dark and dreading time. Hikaru and Koaru were nowhere to be seen, and Tamaki was hunched over the table in despair. The Hosts remaining scooted closer to the table and began their discussion once again, not even bothering to acknowledge Roseline's presence. She preferred it that way, as she contorted her face to appear elsewhere. Her ears, though, were heavily trained on the words in the air.

"Looking at the numbers," Kyouya managed to mumble and announce at the same time, "If this situation isn't resolved, I'm afraid we're going to have to stop offering our brotherly love package. We're down one pair of loving brothers."

Roseline could have told them that, without the need of a calculator. She wondered what he was really using it for, if the Host Club really ran off the points system they claimed to.

"Oh, Haruhi." Kyouya continued sickeningly sweet, "I just want you to know that there's no reason for you to feel responsible. Even though it was your tactless comment that started this whole feud between the twins in the first place. Right?"

Roseline didn't even have to turn around to know that Kyouya was smiling in his omniscient way, and that Haruhi needn't be fooled by the words that he delivered.

"It's weird for Hika-chan and Koa-chan to be fighting like this. It's never happened before." Honey said sadly. At his voice, Roseline turned her head to look. He was gazing wistfully at Usa-chan, making him dance pitifully on the table.

Morinozuka nodded in agreement.

"They've never fought before?" Haruhi asked with a hint of awe in her voice.

When Honey spoke again, the room was quiet and all eyes were on him. Even Roseline's pretense was dropped amidst the tension.

"I've known Hika-chan and Koa-chan since we were in preschool. We weren't in the same year, so I never really got to talk to them. But I remember that the two of them always played together."

Tamaki had finally sat up, looking as beaten as Honey about the twins. He spoke as though he were talking to himself.

"Yeah, that's true. I mean, I've only known the twins since they were in middle school. Bu they definitely stood out. It seemed like they kept everyone at a distance except each other. Believe it or not, they were even more warped back then. When you stop and think about it, maybe this fight is a good thing for them."

Everyone stared at the table and refused to meet one another's eyes. Tamaki, bless his ignorant self, flung his arms out dramatically and cried

"Maybe the twins are expanding their horizons a bit. We should just leave them alone and let them work it out."

The sun shone a bit brighter through the window, and Haruhi watched the outside world as though it might come in and take her away with it. Roseline watched too, waiting for the wind to whisk all the worry in the room away. In the back if her mind, she wondered which twin would abandon which. Would it truly be for the better?

Sometimes, she knew from experience, cutting ties can be a change for the better. But it always hurts. For the twins, no matter how warped they may be, was it really worth all of this? For the second time, Roseline suspected something afoul about this fight. And for the first time, she didn't want to know what it was.

The bell rung, and ripped the solemn silence of the room to pieces, and scurried the children off to their next classes. Roseline stood up, staring at the table and waiting for the one that would be her escort for the day. When no one met her eyes, she sighed a single sigh of defeat and trudged toward the door. Unsurprisingly, as though they may really let her walk alone, Tamaki came and offered his arm to her. She took it without question, knowing better than to argue the leader and follower role with the Host King. When they came down the steps, out of earshot of everyone, Roseline did her best to change the heavy subject to a much lighter one.

"I'm going to have to go get glasses soon, and Renge won't be able to accompany. Would going by myself count as breaking our deal?"

Tamaki hummed in thought, staring abstractly at the floor below them, coming closer and closer as they descended. When their feet simultaneously hit the bottom step, he spoke louder than he had before in the Club, and happier too. Roseline was suddenly glad that she had changed the subject.

"I suppose we could have a Host accompany you, though I don't see why you getting glasses poses as a threat. I'll ask Kyouya about it."

Roseline stopped abruptly, dragging Tamaki back with her. He gawked, staring wide eyed and confused as she studied him. To the best of her knowledge, he wasn't particularly bright and he was pleasant enough. Something about his not trusting her did not add up, even going past his obvious adoration of Haruhi. He blinked with a gaping mouth, looking like a carp caught out of water.

"I thought you were the one that called for this in the first place. Why does Kyouya make the decisions?"

Tamaki paused, practically freezing in place for several seconds. Then, his princely features bust into jovial laughter, holding his gut and dropping Roseline's arm in the process. Angry, very angry at being laughed at, Roseline stamped on his foot with all of her might. If he were any other man, Tamaki would have sworn such colourful language and screamed bloody murder. His dropped down to a knee, clutching his foot as he hissed through clenched teeth. His face was red and flushed, hair disheveled, and tie undone. He looked a wreck and the pain in his foot was not helping any. If not for his mockery, Roseline would have felt sorry for him. But pride is the damnation of a beast. He peered through his blonde locks and appeared as apologetic as he could around the grimace.

"I'm sorry for laughing. It's only that you claimed this was my idea…is that what they told you?"

Roseline stopped, pieces coming together in a blinding flash. Who kept better tabs on her than any, was clever enough to send Haruhi as a test for her ability to keep silent, and knew that she would not tell Renge and that she would have been following her that day? A pair of glasses and an all knowing smirk filled her vision, and soon she too was laughing on the floor, doubled over in pain, like Tamaki. Their tears rained down their faces, pooling about their feet as they both came to the same conclusion from opposite ends of the field. They clashed comically in the middle.

"That brilliant bastard." Roseline laughed, and Tamaki all but howled at the statement. When their laughter turned to giggles, and giggled into mere silent chuckles, they helped one another stand. This time, Tamaki allowed her to lead their pace, while still having her arm in the lady's position.

They bent around the corner and came to Auditorium 1, where Kanazuki was already waiting at the door for her. Her eyebrow raised a millimeter. That was her confused face.

Tamaki, for all it was worth, was polite and courteous to her in passing and left Roseline in her hands. Before they stepped in the door, Roseline answered the question scarcely traced into her friend's face.

"He's just an escort for today. Now, want to run lines or practice vocals?"

Kanazuki stared at her, eyebrow quirked a hair yet again. Roseline felt a wave of pity flow over her. "Didn't you hear? We're doing a musical this year."


End file.
